A Nov. 23 article by Susie Bodman and Stefanie Knowlton of Oregon's Statesman-Journal newspaper reported that adolescent and teen substance abuse remains a prevalent problem throughout the state:

• Eighth-graders in Oregon were twice as likely to drink in the past 30 days than their peers across the country in 2005, and, since then, the number has grown along with binge drinking by eighth-graders.
• Last year, nearly 40 percent of eighth-graders reported using alcohol or drugs in the past 30 days, according to the 2007 Oregon Healthy Teens Study.
• Kids who take their first drink before age 16 are twice as likely to become addicts, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Exacerbating the problem, the Statesman-Journal reporters noted, is that the majority of young people who need help with their substance abuse problems are not receiving that assistance.

"More than 6,000 kids ages 12 to 17 were treated for drug and alcohol abuse in Oregon last year," Bodman and Knowlton wrote. "State officials estimate that the number of kids who needed treatment, in-patient or out-patient, in the state last year was closer to 27,000, which means only about 22 percent of those who need it are getting treatment through the state."

Labels: teen_drug_use, oregon

Posted By: Aspen/CRC